Song Discovery | Frances England: Blue Skies and Sunny Days

My Review:

I loved this cd from the very first song “Carefree.” “Not Just My Sister” and “Watching You Grow” were also a few of my favorites. All the songs on the album are breezy and light while conveying a message of positivity and love.

Listen to the first track, “Carefree” Below

The CD is Available August 14, 2018

Written by Beth Blenz-Clucas, Sugar Mountain PR

FrancesEngland, a GRAMMY-nominated, San Francisco-based artist known for her warm, soothing voice and “fresh and honest” songwriting, captures the easy-breezy days of summer with her upcoming album Blue Skies and Sunny Days. Featuring Dan Lebowitz (ALO, Jack Johnson) and produced by Dean Jones and FrancesEngland, the album will be available from iTunes, Amazon, streaming sites and FrancesEngland.com on August 14.

“I hope these songs provide an antidote to all the bad news out there,” says England, who chose one of her favorite artists, Lisa Congdon, to create the colorfully whimsical album artwork. “I went into the songwriting process for this album knowing that I wanted to make something that sounded really light and loose, which is funny because it was actually the complete opposite of how I was feeling. But I knew that’s what I wanted to share with children and families next because I feel like that’s what’s needed right now.” With their easy-listening, laid-back vibe and optimistic messages, these eight songs might just lighten the load of parenting in the 21st century, at least for a few musical moments.

England started the recording process in San Francisco with Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz of ALO, who is known for his guitar work with Phil Lesh and Jack Johnson. “I loved Lebo’s playing style and knew that was going to be the foundation for getting the loose vibe that I was after.” She worked on developing the structure and beats in her home studio and then recorded six of the eight tracks with Lebo at his home studio. In April, Frances and Dean Jones finished up the tracks at Dean’s studio in the Hudson Valley.

From the first track on Blue Skies and Sunny Days, listeners are pulled in with “Carefree,” a funky ode to the casual road trip. While acknowledging that life sometimes throws us a curveball, it’s the people we love who can surprise us with things that help us go “round and round.” Similarly, a trip “Into the Wild” will have listeners running for the trees with its reminder of how good nature can make you feel. The lush, enveloping production of “Good Day” and “Perfect Tuesday Afternoon” are transporting in their sound and messages. Other new FrancesEngland songs and a sprightly cover of the Cat Stevens classic “If You Want To Sing Out”(in harmony with Lebowitz) allow us to take a mental break from even the most chaotic day. Indeed, “there’s a million ways to go,” and it’s always possible to find a new path. “Mama Said” offers reassurance and advice to “take a deep breath” and meet life’s challenges. The final track, “Watching You Grow,” is a bit of a heartbreaker and will appeal to any parent feeling a range of emotions as they watch their children bloom and develop.

With a gift for capturing and expressing the wonders, simple pleasures, and beauty of childhood, FrancesEngland frames her music in ways both children and parents can appreciate. Her sparkly, acoustic pop songs are both catchy and heartfelt. Each of her previous family music albums has received wide public acclaim and national awards for their sophistication and originality, including a GRAMMY nomination for Explorer of the World (2016). The multiple Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winner has performed around the country, from schools and cafes in her hometown of San Francisco, to Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza and Symphony Space. Meanwhile, Frances is recording a new album for grownups with John Vanderslice.